2 
Spain, and having already made its acquaintance in Italy, he never found it in any part of the 
peninsula, not even in Catalonia; and in this all naturalists who have visited the country seem to 
be agreed. Mr. Howard Saunders informs me that he failed to find it in the island of Majorca, 
though he carefully examined the heaps of Sparrows brought into the markets, and careful 
research on the east coast of Spain resulted in the same way. It is said by Messrs. Jaubert and 
Barthélemy-Lapommeraye to have occurred in Provence in the autumn; but at this season the 
colour of the crown in Passer domesticus is sullied with brown, and I cannot help thinking that 
specimens of the common Sparrow have been mistaken for the present species; and, so far as I 
can judge, it never appears to cross the Alps. Temminck states (Man. d’Orn. iii. p. 257) that it 
breeds on the summit of Mont Cenis; but this statement is expressly denied by Bailly. It is 
first met with about Susa, on the Italian side, whence it is found about the mainland of Italy, 
replacing Passer domesticus—the latter, however, being resident at Nice, and occurring in small 
numbers at Turin and other parts of Piedmont, as far as the province of Venetia, where it is 
very rare. 
The Italian Sparrow is stated by Salvadori not to occur in the island of Sardinia; and both 
he and Professor Doderlein say that it is not known in Sicily, the records of its occurrence being 
based on immature examples of Passer hispaniolensis, which is abundant. Mr. C. A. Wright has 
stated that it is found in Malta; but I have examined specimens from that island labelled by this 
gentleman as being Italian Sparrows, and I have invariably found them to be Spanish Sparrows out 
of plumage or in immature dress. The present species has been also recorded by Mr. C. Bygrave 
Wharton as found in Corsica; but he has brought no specimens to confirm his statement, which 
does not agree with what Salvadori says, and I am inclined to doubt its occurrence there. Nor 
can I believe that it has occurred in other countries, as for instance Greece, Asia Minor, and 
Algeria, where it has been stated by various authors to have been met with; doubtless Passer 
hispaniolensis has in every such instance been mistaken for it. 
In habits and nidification the present species does not differ from its near ally, Passer 
domesticus. I possess eggs from Italy which are undistinguishable from those of that species. 
The specimen figured, on the same Plate with Passer domesticus, is an adult male from 
Italy, in my collection. 
In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens :— 
E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 
a,3, 6, 9. Italy (Salwadori). 
E Mus. Howard Saunders. 
a,3ad. Genoa. 6, 5 ad. Genoa, August 30th, 1869 (F. Nager-Donazian). c, 3, d, 2. Modena (Doderlein). 
E Mus. R. Swinhoe. 
a,6,3. Liguria (Salvadori). 
